Car fall down, go boom.

[msrlapin]

So my car started belching huge amounts of smoke, and then stalled out.

From what I can gather, I suspect I'm looking at a broken gasket head.

I suspect the car is toast.

Yay.

Comments

[mastertwisted]

I suspect what you mean is "head gasket". Was the smoke coming from the engine compartment, or the exhaust?

While it can be a little pricey, it's certainly cheaper than a new car - or even a new engine. I suggest calling local mechanics and asking how much they charge to replace a head gasket on your make and model of car.

Good luck!

[msrlapin]

Exhaust. When idling, just a small amount. When I tried driving, torrents of smoke. Then it stalled out.

[mastertwisted]

Check out this link: http://www.trustmymechanic.com/troubleshoot_smoke.htm

The more you know about the possible causes, the more intelligently you can discuss this with the mechanic you choose. I wouldn't go to a dealer with a high mileage car, and sometimes you can take it to a place that does oil changes for minor engine work to get it evaluated. We have had a bit of good work done at our local Jiffy-Lube, but YMMV.

[imperatrix]

When you say "it stalled out," did it make a noise beforehand? Did the engine stop completely? Where exactly did the smoke come from? If it still turns over at all, it may not be as bad as you think.

Reason I ask is because you can't really have a "broken gasket head." There's no such creature. ;) (A head gasket is a thin slice of rubber that goes between your block and your head, depending on the type of engine). I'd have to actually LOOK at it to tell, but there's really no such thing as completely unfixable; it's just a matter of whether or not you have the expertise/time/tools/parts to do the repair.

[msrlapin]

There was no noise beforehand, but lots and lots of smoke. The engine stopped completely; even the power steering died. The smoke's all from the exhaust, with none from the engine that I can tell.

I'm certain it's fixable, but it's much more dependent on what I can afford (not much - okay, nothing) and what associated damage might have happened. From what I'm rapidly gathering, if my guess is correct, this involves a lot of labor.

[imperatrix]

Depends on whether or not you have damage to your engine block, whether or not you have to pull the engine, whether or not you'd have to do something like drop the transmission, whether or not... well, basically, anything that requires access to the car in ways that you can't do by just bending over it or crawling under it: it'll probably be expensive.

Meh. I wish you lived closer, I'd come take a look.

[msrlapin]

I wish I was closer, too. I miss the LARPer community terribly.

And of course, if I lived closer, I would be driving on snowy (yes, snowky) back country Ohio roads, and probably banging up the engine in the process.

I'll keep everyone psted... I'll have a mechanic look at it tomorrow or Friday.